"From the Sea, From the Sea, From the Beautiful Sea" or however that song goes and depending on where one travels, it is possible to find jewelry that comes totally from the sea. Most is faily inexpensive, but designs that contailn items such as Black Coral can run hundreds, even thousandss of dollars.
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In this design, shells from the sea that have been cut into large 30mm rounds highlight a necklace of Poppy Jasper ovals, Black Agate (Onyx) barrels and heishi shell beads. A copper lobster clasp can connect to a copper chain to allow for varying necklace lengths. Two styles of French Hook dangle earrings complete the set.
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Seashell - Jewelry made from seashellsd are absolutely stunning, and so calming. Seashell jewelry continues to grow in popularity, especially since no two shells are alike, so each piece is as unique as you are! There are millions out there to choose from, so getting some to even match a little bit can be an exciting discovery and bit time consuming.Seashell necklaces and Mother of Pearl (MOP) are quite the favorites, along with some pretty Sand Dollars. Shell jewelry tells everyone you love nature.
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Black Agate (Onyx) which is truely a died black Agate, is more common and perhaps the most famous variety, but not as common as natural Onyx. Onyx is a crypyocrystalline form of Quartz. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color (save some shades, such as purple or blue). A picture of a true Black Onyx specimum is seen at the left. True specimens of Onyx contain bands of colors of white, tan, and brown. As stated, the pure black form which most people know as Onyx, is not a naturally occuring variety. Black Agate or poorly colored Onyx is heated and dyed black to come up with the pure black form so well liked within the jewelry industry.
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Poppy Jasper is found in two places - Spain and the Morgan Hill area of California. Poppy Jasper exhibits stones of brick red mingling with shades of brown or black. These beautiful gemstones also often show shades of golden yellows, cream, or white in a single bead. Poppy Jasper is a famous, but increasingly rare orbicular jasper with red and yellow dots of "poppy flowers". It is a brecciated jasper, meaning it probably came from sun-dried and oxidized iron-rich clay. The cracks were filled in by other substances. Jasper, a form of Chalcedony, is an opaque impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color. Blue is rare. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, jewelry and at one time for snuff boxes. When the colors are in stripes or bands, it is called striped or banded jasper. When the colors are in circles or long tubes it is called plume jasper. Jasper is basically chert which owes its red color to iron inclusions.
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Heishi - The literal meaning of heishi is "shell" and specifically refers to pieces of shell which have been drilled and ground into beads and then strung into necklaces. More and more frequently, however, heishi (pronounced hee-shee) has come to refer to hand-made tiny beads made of any natural material. The origin of heishi is fascinating indeed, and is inescapably linked to the ancient history of the people most proficient in its making, the Santo Domingo and San Felipe Pueblo Indians. It is safe to say that this is the oldest form of jewelry in New Mexico (and perhaps in North America), pre-dating the introduction of metals. Centuries ago, the shells used by the Pueblo Indians to make beads were obtained in trade from the Gulf of California. When one looks at a string of heishi, the first reaction is frequently "how on earth can a person do that?" or "to be so perfect, it must be done by machines." The truth is, if it seems exquisitely perfect, it was most likely made by the hands of a highly-skilled, extremely patient craftsperson. Knowing the steps involved in the creation of a good string of heishi can help a potential buyer distinguish—and appreciate the difference— between excellent hand-made jewelry and imitations. First, the raw materials are chosen. The most commonly used are seashells of all kinds—dark and light olive shells, spiney oysters, mother-of-pearl, melon shell. Coral and stones such as lapis, turquoise, jet, pipestone and serpentine are also used to create exquisite contemporary heishi necklaces.
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Glass, Crystals and Gemstones ! Not a combination one would automatically think of, but when the glass is cut or formed correctly, and the crystals and gemstones have been cut and polished also, you have a unique combination for the “discerning” jewelry wearer.
Sonoran Leaves are a specially fired glass that is made into the shape of leaves in different sizes for use in pendants and earrings. Boro glass is a particular type of glass, better known under the brand name of Pyrex. It was first developed in the late 19th century and was used primarily for scientific glass due to its strength and durability. Artists have started to use boro glass for bead making even though it is a very hard glass and requires high heat to form a bead. Boro glass has a very distinctive range of colors from varions other minerals or impurities, often much more vibrant than the softer European glass. Sonoran Leaf pieces are made one at a time, in a flame. Because they are made by hand there may be slight variations in color from one batch to another. Do not confuse these Sonoran Leaves with other types of poured or fused glass leave made in bulk.
Lotus Jasper -- Jasper, a form of chalcedony which is an opaque impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown, or green in color. Blue is rare. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone in jewelry. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and statues. When the colors are in stripes or bands, it is called striped or banded jasper. Lotus Jasper, a specifically named variety first found in Japan, is a milky white somewhat opaque gemstone with green blotches or patches following on the ancient name which means "spotted or speckled stone".
